car stumbles after getting gas

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
Wife's 2003 Chrysler T&C runs like a dog - "coughing" and sputtering for first few miles immediately after getting gas, them it runs fine again.
I've put in Berryman's chemtool gas treatment - no difference.
Runs fine all other times and the stumbling is only for a minute or two, but I can't figure it out. If it were the old days, I'd think vapor lock...
Ideas? A fuel filter wouldn't clear itself in a few minutes.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,304
try getting fuel at a different location.
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
Not tied to one location. If it were the gas, it wouldn't disappear so quickly.
 

bigdee

Commander
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
Purge valve may be bad.....but sometimes the valve justs hiccups when gas cap is removed to fill tank. My Jeep does that but clears up after a few minutes.
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,524
Is it being filled until the pump kicks off and then 'burped' to get some additional gas into the tank?
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
Is it being filled until the pump kicks off and then 'burped' to get some additional gas into the tank?
Nope.
I'm thinking maybe water in the gas...
The water is heavier, getting gas stirs it up, then after a few minutes it sinks again.
I'm going to try "Dry gas".
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
^^^ I meant water in the gas tank - it has been extremely humid, and car is parked outside - I suspect condensation in the tank....
 

bigdee

Commander
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
engine running rough after gas fill up is almost always a problem with the emission's fuel vapor purge system.
 

Volphin

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
1,405
This has been widely reported with FCAs minivan line. The root problem is the vapor/liquid separator valve on top of the fuel tank. This valve prevents liquid fuel from entering the charcoal canister. When defective, liquid gas enters the line and fills the charcoal canister.
After you refuel, the PCM (onboard engine computer) "sees" a change in fuel level. Then, when the engine reaches a set temperature and driving criteria, it issues a "purge" command to the charcoal canister to remove gas vapors. But at that point all the LIQUID gas in the line gets sucked into the charcoal canister. The PCM expects to see gas vapors entering the intake manifold as usual and is able to adjust air/fuel mixtures to compensate. But it gets fuel liquid instead.

This, to say the least, it is not prepared to handle. That’s what causes the engine to stall or run poorly. The ONLY fix is to replace the entire gas tank. Chrysler does NOT sell the vapor/liquid valve as a separate part. Once the tank is replaced and the charcoal canister purged, the problem goes away.
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
could be a cam sensor, i recently ran into that and it did the same thing
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
Got gas today, and wife was in convenience store, so car sat a bit at pump after filling, and there was no problem.
If I go with my theory of water in the tank, the water had time to settle out.
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
Got some "HEET" - for water in gas (and alleged injector cleaner) and threw it in tank - we'll see next fill-up.
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
You didn't say, but if you're running normal E10 pump gas you already have alcohol in the fuel, adding more won't help.
 

bigdee

Commander
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
Volphin is right on. This is true for all vehicles that run rough immediately after filling tank. Vapor purge system at fault. Water theory does not hold water,no pun intended. Water settles to BOTTOM of tank so waiting would make problem worse not better. Bad gas would also take some time to reach engine and not react immediately.
 

hemi rt

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
321
Dodge/Chrysler vehicles, 2005 to 2007- Magnum, Charger and 300's had this problem, FCA is replacing the gas tanks on these cars free of charge with a modified tank, complain to FCA and get an incident number from them, then report the problem to your state and federal consumer agencies, if enough reports go through FCA will be forced to resolve the problem NC to the vehicle owners.
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
UPDATE:
Problem has not come back.
Whenever I get gas, I stop filling when it clicks, then go in convenience store and drive the car after a few minutes of sitting.
No problems.
 

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
I highly doubt it is water. Just driving around would stir it up more than fueling it. You could probably remove the cap without filling up and have the same problem.
 

Fleetwin

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
1,141
I agree with this one. You have liquid (fuel) getting in the vapor line.


This has been widely reported with FCAs minivan line. The root problem is the vapor/liquid separator valve on top of the fuel tank. This valve prevents liquid fuel from entering the charcoal canister. When defective, liquid gas enters the line and fills the charcoal canister.
After you refuel, the PCM (onboard engine computer) "sees" a change in fuel level. Then, when the engine reaches a set temperature and driving criteria, it issues a "purge" command to the charcoal canister to remove gas vapors. But at that point all the LIQUID gas in the line gets sucked into the charcoal canister. The PCM expects to see gas vapors entering the intake manifold as usual and is able to adjust air/fuel mixtures to compensate. But it gets fuel liquid instead.

This, to say the least, it is not prepared to handle. That?s what causes the engine to stall or run poorly. The ONLY fix is to replace the entire gas tank. Chrysler does NOT sell the vapor/liquid valve as a separate part. Once the tank is replaced and the charcoal canister purged, the problem goes away.
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
SEE POST 16.
Have not had the problem recur......
 
Top